Jubilee Pavilion Shadow Person, Marton

This one I heard about on a trip down to Marton, near Whanganui on the west coast of the North Island.

The Jubilee Pavilion is situated in the historically recognised community sporting arena of Marton Park. A historical trust registration marked the park as a place with aesthetic, architectural, historical, cultural and social significance. The Historic Places Trust classifications covered the key features of the park. The Jubilee Pavilion, South African War memorial, the Great War memorial and a small number of trees at the northern end of the rugby ground which have historic significance.

The pavilion stands are allegedly the preferred haunt of a frequently seen ‘shadow person’. Described as all black (looking like a shadow) and without any visible features. Sitting on the left hand side seating of the pavilion as though looking out onto the field, watching a sporting event. It has been witnessed by a few people through the years. Always in the same pavilion side, same row and in the same position. Sitting, looking forward.

People working around the stadium, or walking through the park have gone over to see this ‘person’, only to have it disappear before they reach the stands. No one seems to know who this person might be, but it is theorised that it might be the ghost of a lonely homeless man who frequented the stadium for many years to watch the local sporting teams play there. A couple I spoke to in a local pub, told me he was a Maori homeless man who was quite known and liked within the community and would attend many sporting events. They described him as having a bushy grey beard, old hat and overcoat and always smiling and happy and loved to chat to people. Without an abode, he would sometimes be seen sleeping in the stands at times, in that very spot. He was found dead in the stands many years ago, thought to be the unfortunate victim of a gang related attack.

Haunted Auckland visited the pavilion in the hopes of capturing an image of this entity or perhaps even engaging in communication with the old man, but were unsuccessful. One thing for sure; the back of the jubilee pavilion stands is an eerie place to sit. Especially under a full moon in the dead silence of night in this peaceful and friendly little town.

 

2 Comments

  1. Nick Holdaway

    i was born and lived on Maunder street as a child in the 1960s . Spent hours in that pavilion by myself and with friends , it had a resonance but not enough to be haunted at that stage ie early sixties . The guy with the hat and beard was Mr Johansen (not a maori ) Mrs Rolf was a maori woman married to Charlie Rolf an English remittance man who lived on the edge of the park , She had a very powerful spirit . I used to get her smokes and hide them in the hedge on the edge of the park ,where she would leave the money . She smoked rothmans and no ghost would survive her presence.

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